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Olympic Medalist, Ohio Native Encourages Students to Race Towards Life Goals
June 30, 2023 -- Students at Georgian Heights Elementary School now have a better understanding of what a goal is and how they can achieve goals they set, thanks to Olympic gold medalist Mary Wineberg.
Wineberg, a gold medalist and Cincinnati native, not only shared her story of success through hard work, but brought all students their own signed copy of her children’s book I Didn’t Win.
“The book is about a little boy named Jackson who learns how to set goals. He learns how to persevere, and he learns it’s not always about winning. It’s about how you challenge yourself,” Wineberg said.
The Olympian explained that the idea for her children’s book came from teaching. Wineberg said she would often ask her students what extracurricular activities they were involved in while working as a teacher in Cincinnati following her Olympic appearance.
“I would always ask how it went for them, and they would say, ‘Well, I lost!’ I would ask them how they felt and handled that, and they would tell me about the temper tantrums they would have. I would say, ‘Oh, you really did that to your mom?’ they would say, ‘Yeah.’ That’s when I decided to write a book where kids can learn about character building and realize that it’s ok to lose. It’s about how you pick yourself up again, and it’s a life-long lesson through adulthood. If I didn’t have a good day teaching, would you see me rolling around on the floor upset?” she said.
While talking with students, Wineberg explained how she overcame obstacles that left her feeling defeated. She told students how she lost race after race for two years leading up to her Olympic appearance, and in spite of that defeat, it didn’t stop her from reaching for her goals.
“I would have never met a gold medalist at all from the Olympic Games. I remember growing up...I never met anyone like that. So I don’t want to just put the medal away in a drawer; I want the kids to be able to touch it, feel it, and hear the journey it took to make it and have them realize that they, too, can do anything. It may not be the Olympics, but it may be something that they’re passionate about and succeeding in.”
While grabbing a signed copy of her book, students also got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to touch her Olympic gold medal. Wineberg said that’s something she wants all kids to be able to see in person.
“I would have never met a gold medalist at all from the Olympic Games. I remember growing up...I never met anyone like that. So I don’t want to just put the medal away in a drawer, I want the kids to be able to touch it and feel it and hear the journey that it took to make it and have them realize that they too can do anything. It may not be the Olympics, but it may be something they’re passionate about succeeding in.”